Allardyce can get me firing again at Everton, says Walcott

LONDON – Everton striker Theo Walcott said manager Sam Allardyce was the key factor in his decision to sign for the Merseyside club from Arsenal last month and believes the former England boss can extract the best out of him.

Walcott, 28, hit the ground running at Everton and provided the assist for fellow forward Oumar Niasse's leveller in the 1-1 draw with West Bromwich Albion. He then scored both goals in the 2-1 win over Leicester City.

“Sam was one of the main reasons why I came to the club. I wanted a manager like that who could get the best out of me,” Walcott told the club's website.

Walcott, who started six league games for Arsenal this season apart from playing five Europa League matches and four more in domestic cup competitions, said he could not turn down the opportunity to work with Allardyce.

“I had that short stint with Sam with England and to see it now every day, the way the intensity of training is and how demanding it is has been great. I like to go into training every day and try to be better than the day before.”

Everton are 10th in the league with 31 points and go into Saturday's home Premier League clash against Crystal Palace on the back of a 5-1 thumping by Arsenal but Walcott said Allardyce was working hard to turn things around.

“Results will change. We need to make sure we are ready and focused for the weekend because we need to start getting some more points in order to be more comfortable,” he said.

“There have been a few recent results like getting the draw against West Brom and then beating Leicester where we have seen improved performances but I have come here to push Everton on.”